How does an electric transformer step up or step down voltage?
1 Answer
An electric transformer is a static electrical device that can either step up or step down voltage levels. It consists of two or more coils of insulated wire wound around a magnetic core. The primary coil receives electrical energy at a certain voltage, and the secondary coil outputs the transformed voltage.
Step-up Transformer:
A step-up transformer increases the voltage level from the primary coil to the secondary coil. It achieves this by having more turns of wire on the secondary coil than on the primary coil. When an alternating current (AC) flows through the primary coil, it creates a magnetic field around the transformer's core. This changing magnetic field induces a voltage in the secondary coil, following Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction.
The voltage induced in the secondary coil is proportional to the ratio of the number of turns on the secondary coil to the number of turns on the primary coil. If the secondary coil has more turns, the induced voltage will be higher than the input voltage, resulting in a step-up in voltage.
Step-down Transformer:
A step-down transformer, on the other hand, decreases the voltage level from the primary coil to the secondary coil. In this case, the secondary coil has fewer turns of wire than the primary coil. When AC flows through the primary coil, it again generates a changing magnetic field. This varying magnetic field induces a voltage in the secondary coil.
The induced voltage in the secondary coil is inversely proportional to the ratio of the number of turns on the secondary coil to the number of turns on the primary coil. If the secondary coil has fewer turns, the induced voltage will be lower than the input voltage, resulting in a step-down in voltage.
It's important to note that transformers work efficiently only with AC (alternating current) because electromagnetic induction relies on a changing magnetic field, which is inherent to AC. Transformers are crucial devices in electrical power distribution, allowing for efficient transmission of electricity over long distances and facilitating voltage transformations to suit different applications and voltage requirements.
Step-up Transformer:
A step-up transformer increases the voltage level from the primary coil to the secondary coil. It achieves this by having more turns of wire on the secondary coil than on the primary coil. When an alternating current (AC) flows through the primary coil, it creates a magnetic field around the transformer's core. This changing magnetic field induces a voltage in the secondary coil, following Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction.
The voltage induced in the secondary coil is proportional to the ratio of the number of turns on the secondary coil to the number of turns on the primary coil. If the secondary coil has more turns, the induced voltage will be higher than the input voltage, resulting in a step-up in voltage.
Step-down Transformer:
A step-down transformer, on the other hand, decreases the voltage level from the primary coil to the secondary coil. In this case, the secondary coil has fewer turns of wire than the primary coil. When AC flows through the primary coil, it again generates a changing magnetic field. This varying magnetic field induces a voltage in the secondary coil.
The induced voltage in the secondary coil is inversely proportional to the ratio of the number of turns on the secondary coil to the number of turns on the primary coil. If the secondary coil has fewer turns, the induced voltage will be lower than the input voltage, resulting in a step-down in voltage.
It's important to note that transformers work efficiently only with AC (alternating current) because electromagnetic induction relies on a changing magnetic field, which is inherent to AC. Transformers are crucial devices in electrical power distribution, allowing for efficient transmission of electricity over long distances and facilitating voltage transformations to suit different applications and voltage requirements.